YouTube's 'ghost gun' videos, vaccine mandate showdown, and a camel beauty contest

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     Today we look at the problem of untraceable "ghost guns" featured on YouTube, the latest showdown over vaccine mandates, and controversy at an unusual beauty contest.   Here's the latest on that and everything else we're watching this Thursday morning.     YouTube banned 'ghost gun' videos. They're still up. The internet has made the proliferation of homemade weapons a vexing problem for law enforcement officials across the country, who have linked them to mass shootings, attacks on police, as well as drug and gang-related killings in recent years.   And now, more than three years after YouTube tightened its gun content restrictions, an NBC News review has found dozens of videos, with more than 4.6 million combined views, showing how to assemble "ghost guns," which remain largely unregulated in most states and are nearly impossible to trace because they lack serial numbers.   NBC News sent links to six videos — which combined accounted for more than 1.2 million hits — to YouTube's parent company, Google, seeking comment on how it enforces its firearms policy.   YouTube removed the videos within hours but dozens of similar videos remain on the site.   Read the full story here.  Friday's Top Stories White House braces for legal, political showdown over vaccine mandates The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday to repeal President Joe Biden's vaccination-or-testing mandate for private-sector employers in a bipartisan rebuke of a key component of the White House's Covid-19 strategy. READ MORE U.S. Covid travel warnings hit European hot spots U.S. travel warnings are hitting longtime American tourist hot spots where it hurts, with some who depend on the dollar describing their situation as desperate. READ MORE The internet is tricking us into thinking we're smarter than we are, research shows Researchers are finding that the intersection of Google, smartphones and our memories is starting to mess with how we judge our own abilities. READ MORE OPINION Ron DeSantis' Florida state military plan echoes Trump's autocratic aspirations The governor is leading GOP efforts to create environments conducive to authoritarianism, writes Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of "Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present." READ MORE Also in the News California father, son accused of reckless arson in massive Caldor Fire Oklahoma prepares to execute man for teacher's slaying in 1985 New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for future generations Gunfire reported at Cancun beach after shooters arrive on jet skis, police say Congress, Biden to honor 'American giant' Bob Dole at Capitol Editor's Pick Study unlocks the secrets to developing a regular workout habit What motivates people to go to the gym more often? Emails, text messages and really small cash rewards. READ MORE Select The Amazon Halo View fitness tracker is built with multiple sensors to provide health insights like heart rate and blood oxygen levels: Here's everything we know about it. One Fun Thing Dozens of camels barred from Saudi beauty contest over Botox, touch-ups Controversy at beauty contests is nothing new. But the contestants are usually people, not camels.   More than 40 camels were disqualified from an annual camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia after an investigation found they had been given Botox and other artificial treatments, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.   The popular King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, which kicked off earlier this month, invites the breeders of the most beautiful camels to compete for some $66 million in prize money.   Read more here.  Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: patrick.smith@nbcuni.com. If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Patrick Smith     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? SIGN UP HERE Check out all of NBC Newsletters here.     Get the NBC News Mobile App   30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 View in browser | Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Contact | Privacy